Constructivist epistemology

In this paper I will be defending Plato’s style of philosophy and why philosopher kings are best suited to rule, this will also encompass the Forms as it is key to understanding why they are the best suited. Plato uses his Forms to further his knowledge of the difference between people whom he would consider to be true philosophers and people whom he would refer to simply as intellectuals. Plato affirms that a philosopher is best suited to say how people should live based upon the knowledge that…

The dialogue of Theaetetus, written by the Greek philosopher Plato, discusses the idea of knowledge with the help of Socrates, Theaetetus and Theodorus. The question of What is Knowledge, is proposed by Socrates, who then aids Theaetetus in making this discovery. Theaetetus comes up with three possible hypotheses, one after another that are as follows: (I) Knowledge is perception, (II) knowledge is true judgement, and (III) knowledge is true judgement with logos. While Socrates helps in the…

“A paranoid is someone who knows little of what’s going on” (William S. Burroughs). This quote by William S. Burroughs describes Piglet, a small and frightened character from Winnie-the-Pooh, perfectly. More often than not, Piglet is remembered for his paranoia, but where does his paranoia stem from? Piglet is also often found walking Pooh through thoughts and actions with a series of questions, but why does he decide this is the best way to teach Pooh about the world? Piglet is derived from two…

Is there a difference between justified true belief and knowledge? For the philosopher Plato, these terms defined knowledge, until the philosopher Edmund Gettier proposed the contrary. Gettier suggested the knowledge is more than true justified and belief, so according to Gettier Plato’s theory does not define knowledge, because true, belief and justification can be satisfy. However, it does not exactly mean knowledge. Knowledge from my point of view is more complex than what Plato proposed. In…

Susana Siegel made a convincing case how cognitive penetration (CP) may be problematic for dogmatism. Still, I feel that CP has some shortcomings. First, it is plausible that CP is out of our control – in Siegel’s terms, all cases of CP may be analogous with being “zapped”1. Second, it seems that one must be aware of CP in order for it to be problematic. If a subject has such awareness, however, CP becomes a sneaky defeater and fits the mold of dogmatism. Before proceeding, I will define…

Epistemology is the theory of knowledge which aims to answer the question “How do we know?” In epistemology, we study nature, source, limits and validity of all knowledge. More specifically, epistemology considers the question “What is Knowledge?” and how does one obtain knowledge. Knowledge is the awareness and understanding of specific aspects of truth, belief and justification. Knowledge acquisition can be obtained through epistemology through a rationalism or empiricism approach. I will…

“I think we have a stray dog,” I explain while he refills the dog’s bowls. “Can you check under the deck?” “How would an entire dog get underneath our deck?” he asked condescendingly. “I’m not sure! Just believe me, something is under there,” I exclaim pointing at the deck. Despite investigating for a solid thirty minutes, my father returns with no news of seeing a stray dog. While the howling is too loud for me, he sleeps through the night without hearing anything. However, because neither…

The Matrix, Plato, and Descartes question the reliability of perception and senses when discerning whether reality is true or not. In addition, they The Matrix is the story of the human race lying unconscious in machines while their brains are connected to a computer in which creates a virtual reality (The Matrix, 1999). In Plato’s allegory of the cave, Plato asks Glaucon to imagine that humans are chained to a wall, and if freed would they know the difference between reality and the shadows…

In Chapter 3 of “Theorizing race: Examining experiences of racialized families in the child welfare system” by Daniel Kikulwe he focuses on the theorization of race, using power,knowledge, and the subject which is Michel Foucault’s theory. This chapter mentions how race and racism is limited towards child welfare institutions. In chapter 11, “Deconstructing Hybrid Spaces: Internationally Educated Nurses of Colour in Canada” by Nadia Prendergast it talks about educated nurses of colour not having…

There comes a point in time when all people must begin to assess the truths they acknowledge. This process can either result in a strengthening of the beliefs one already holds as they further confirm the ideologies, or it can result in a complete reversal of all that one previously held as true with respect to a certain facet of their beliefs. Throughout the course of my life I previously gave very little thought and reflection to the beliefs I held. I was held under the perspective that they…